Smothered Cabbage With Sausage Skillet (Printable)

Smoky sausage and tender cabbage combine in a hearty one-pan skillet with bold Southern flavors in just 45 minutes.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz smoked sausage such as kielbasa or andouille, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium green cabbage approximately 1.75 lbs, cored and sliced
03 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 large carrot, peeled and grated (optional)
06 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced (optional)

→ Fats and Oils

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
12 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Liquids

13 - 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned on both sides, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, add onion and optional carrot and bell pepper. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add the sliced cabbage, smoked paprika, dried thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Toss all ingredients until well combined.
05 - Pour in chicken broth, cover the skillet, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
06 - Uncover the skillet and return the browned sausage. Stir well and continue cooking uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until cabbage is tender and lightly caramelized.
07 - Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer to serving dishes and serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One skillet means one bowl to wash, which feels like a minor miracle on nights when you're running on fumes.
  • The sausage does half the flavor work while you're chopping, so there's genuine ease hiding under what tastes like effort.
  • Cabbage gets this unexpected sweetness when it braises with broth and time, nothing like the raw crunch you might be bracing yourself for.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the sausage; it's easy to think you can just throw it in raw and let it cook through with everything else, but those browned bits are pure flavor that you literally cannot replicate any other way.
  • Cabbage releases water as it cooks, and if you keep the lid on too long toward the end, you'll end up with soup instead of a nicely caramelized skillet—uncover it in the last half of cooking and let that liquid do its job.
03 -
  • If your kitchen runs cold or your skillet isn't behaving as expected, bump the heat up slightly earlier rather than later; you want things moving, not sitting.
  • Taste constantly as things cook and adjust your salt gradually—it's infinitely easier to add more than to fix something that's already oversalted.
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